Fear Factory

The Word: Super fun bouldering
Best Season(s): As for most of Sydney, summer can be hideously hot and humid, but the rest of the year its a good chance.
Sun/shade: Dappled sun all day
Wet weather options: No
Rock type: Good solid Narrabeen Sandstone.
Guidebook(s): The excellent Sydney Bouldering by Peter Balint (Pages 168-187) is all you need.
Available Grades: V0- to V8+

The Details: A great leafy bouldering area in the heart of suburbia - Lane Cove National Park is an absolute gem!
Access: The only thing the guide leaves unclear is whether the area is on your right or on you left as you walk in (its on your right). Otherwise it tells you all you need to know, but here it is anyway - Park at the North Western end of Boundary Rd in North Epping, walk down past the quite astonishing Whale Rock, continue downstream along Devlin's Creek and the short escarpment appears on your right about 250m from the car, just after you cross the creek for the second time.
Described R to L.
Fear Factory central section as viewed from the walk in.
Fear Factory central section

The Courtyard

Upstream (further R) from the Central section shown in the photo above, The Courtyard has a bunch of excellent problems. You'll need a mat.

*** Frankenstein V0 - an outstanding warm up, grab handfuls of the rounded slabby arete with few holds on either face.

** Blunt Instrument V3 - keeps your interest up all the way. Poor R hand pinches, slappy to poor L hand pinch, and slap R hand to crimp rail. And have fun on the techie slopy top out!

Blunt Instrument (V3) - Phil eyes the daunting top out, with the crappy landing below.
Blunt Instrument (V3) - Ryan cranks into the committing topout.

Oddball Buttress

I haven't done anything here but I do have to point out the staggering 8m arete of 2000 Light Years From Home (V5+), clearly visible in the first photo above as the major arete of the buttress, and with a 'landing' that'd leave you about 10m further downhill, splatted on the concrete path. Toproped first, but you still have to pay kudos to the FA which was done with only 1 mat and 1 spotter!!

No Man's Land
Builder's Crack (V0) - yes this place is high enough to scare some people into using a rope! Prancing Pony (V1) takes the face on the R.

** Glitter Beach Barbie V0 - an excellent juggy warm up taking an airy 5m arete 4m L of Builder's Crack.

Lindfield Lusho Wall
The Geek V0 - a short squeeze job, taking the small wall squeezed just R of Super Fly. OK for a quick warm up, you can downclimb the chockstones imnmediately L.
** Super Fly V3 - the excellent rounded arete R of EB without a single hold to pull down on, and hardly any feet either! Instead, style the sidepulls, snag the pocket round the arete, then wonder how the hell you'll ever reach the top.
*** Eligible Bachelor V2 - excellent sustained thin moves of very similar difficulty the whole way, up the wall R of LL.
** Lindfield Lusho V2 - two snapped holds have perhaps made this harder. It's definitely harder than EB and quite cruxy moving above the low break.
** Stud V0+ - the juggy arete on the L end of LL wall. Another great airy warm up.
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Lindfield Lusho (V2) - excellent sustained thinness, and not exactly short!
Lindfield Lusho - head for the tree tops

Sinatra Wall

Nancy (V5) - another ball tearer! Ryan turns the lip - spotters with arms raised are out of sight below!
Nancys need not apply!

Kennedy Wall

Kennedy Wall - down the far end there's a couple more really good looking walls.
And a bit overhung too!

More Internet Sites on Fear Factory Bouldering

SydneyClimbing.com - the comprehensive online guide for all Sydney crags, hosted by Sydney Rockclimbing Club, has a brief Fear Factory page.

Bureau of Meteorology Navigate to "Sydney Metropolitan" - take the average of the forecasts for "Sydney" and "Richmond".

Australian Maps Enter "Boundary" into the street name and "North Epping" into the suburb field (and NSW as the state).

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Lane Cove National Park information, downloadable maps, etc.

TheCrag.com As always. Record your Fear Factory ticks here, and see what everyone else is climbing.